A Second Chance
by BloodBarbie
Summary: What if the second war was lost to the Dark? What if Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters had prevailed? What if Snape had lived? What if Harry Potter had a little sister, born shortly before the murder? Will Snape get a second chance for love?
1. The Beginning

The beginning.

It was a chilly autumn night, and a quiet one at that, when Lily Potter clutched onto her pregnant stomach for dear life. At least, all seemed peaceful from outside the second safe house they had lived in that month, but that was due to the dozen and a half protection and silencing charms placed around the place. Something was different about this house, though. It was the kind they hoped to live in after the war, when they could raise their children, and have a peaceful life together. The young couple hadn't mentioned the move to anyone, not even Dumbledore himself, and Lily had been using concealing charms for the past seven months.

Yes, this pregnancy was most definitely a secret. There was no way the couple wad going to endanger another young life, as the prophecy had done to their son. If it hadn't been for that stupid prophecy, everything could've been okay. Although, the Dark Lord would still want them as followers, they wouldn't have a need to worry about their safety quite as much. Now, they had to hide their second born from the entire wizarding world in order to protect it.

Lily's screams, in all actuality, echoed throughout the whole two story residence they'd been occupying as she entered into labor. But, James was there, patiently tending to his younger wife's every need. Luckily, he'd practiced the process with the midwitch during the last pregnancy. Otherwise, he would have been entirely clueless. It lasted through the night, and the redheaded witch had moments of comfort between the endless hours of pain. She swore that nothing could hurt more than childbirth, with a possible exclusion of the cruciatus curse, and she was even unsure of that. James tended to his wife's every need during the passing hours, keeping her hydrated and using spells in effort to keep the pain to a bare minimum.

As dawn slowly crept across the land, the crowning began. It only took a few more pushes, and out came their beautiful baby girl, covered in her mother's blood and disgusting afterbirth. James wiped off the babe and held her tenderly, kissing her forehead before passing the child to his sweet wife. A light tuft of red hair, and big bluish-green eyes proved that she had received her mother's beaut, but a few of her facial features represented her father as well. She was absolutely perfect.

Lily looked down at the girl, tears streaming down her face. The thought of never seeing the small being in her arms broke her heart, but she knew that for now, it was just the way things need to be. When Voldemort was defeated they could be reunited again, and be the happy family she'd always dreamed of having. Yes, the witch would fight for the safety of her children until the end of her days. There was not a single doubt about that.

"We'll name her Asphodel," she finally spoke, looking up to her messy-haired husband, who gave an approving nod. "Little Asphodel Potter," Lily beamed.

"Dear, I've been thinking we should give her your maiden name, to be more discreet and to keep her safe," James said, glancing over at the two most gorgeous females he'd seen in his lifetime.

Lily sighed, "I suppose that would be for the best," she spoke sadly. The little girl who looked just like her, was now going to be her namesake.

Although no one knew about the child, having named her 'Potter' would surely make her an easier target. The plan was to drop the girl off at a muggle orphanage, with a letter including the girls name and some vague details about her parents, that way finding them after the war would be much easier. The two weren't expecting the war to go on for too long, but planned for the worst. It seemed ingenious, and they slipped her into a light green onesie, before bringing her into the nursery in which she would've slept, along with her brother Harry, had things been different.

After grabbing a small blanket and the letter, they fled from the nursery, not bothering to wake their son from his slumber. James slipped his invisibility cloak over the three of them, before apparating off to the muggle orphanage they'd picked out. It was a small place, located on the outskirts on the safer side of London. If one peered inside the windows, the front rooms seemed to be cramped, but tidy nonetheless.

The cloak was pushed off, and what happened next was sure to break the hearts of anyone who might've been watching this sad parting of kin. They fell to their knees, placing their precious baby girl into a small basket, slipping the letter in between Asphodel and the blanked in which she was tucked. Tears slid down their faces, as they whispered soft promises of returning to her once everything was safe, when the peace times arrived. Neither of them realized how empty these promises would become.

With a kiss on each cheek, the two took off in the dead of night, but not before sending off a spell that caused a booming noise to alert the workers inside. Asphodel's cries were the last thing they heard, before they apparated away into the night, blissfully unaware that those cries were the only sounds they would ever hear from their daughter's mouth.


	2. Goodbye Prison, Hello Freedom

**Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, but don't take it easy on me. I'd like to know what I should work on. I was going to make this longer, but I've decided to separate it into two chapters. Chapter three is on it's way!**

_Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter. Asphodel is a character of my creation._

Asphodel sat there, in the very room she had spent the last seventeen years in, glancing at the treasures she kept hidden in a shoe box throughout the years. Most of the items were small random trinkets the other children left behind, others she'd stolen, and some she'd had since birth. Currently, the redhead was fiddling with the locket she was told to have been sporting when she arrived at the orphanage. The locket was quite intriguing because it seemed entirely impossible to open the damned thing.

Over the years, Asphodel had tried everything from using a crowbar to casting it into the fire. Once, she had even through it onto the street as a car was passing. The locket had managed to escape damage each time, and presented itself without a single scratch. Sighing, she clasped the locket around her neck, not at all shocked when the chain magically lengthened. Having a magical locket was just about the least of her worries.

Today was the day that the young girl would be returning to the wizarding world, by herself. Yes, she was quite aware about the world she belonged to. Though, she'd never received a letter from Hogwarts, she had learned about many things magical. Asphodel owed all of her teachings to Mafalda Minship, an elderly muggleborn witch who took joy in volunteering at the orphanage, and spoiling the children.

When she was younger, Asphodel noticed that the woman had taken a special liking to her, which was an oddity in itself. You see, at the orphanage everyone treated the girl as if she had some sort of disease. But, she couldn't help it that things tended to catch fire when she threw a tantrum. When Mafalda heard of these happenings, her visits to the orphanage became more frequent and she began spending more and more time with the freckled girl. She'd began taking Asphodel out during the days, to parks and various places, before telling the little girl that she knew what she was.

Mafalda explained everything to her, and had taught her to the best of her abilities. Every year, Asphodel's book collection grew, making it necessary to put an expansion charm on her trunk. Everything she read was fascinating, and it was hard to believe that she belonged in such a place.

However, Mafalda had never taken her to Ollivander's or anywhere in Diagon Alley, causing many arguments between the two. But, the elder witch held a firm belief that their world was no place for a child.

But, why? The year that Asphodel was born, a dark wizard who considered himself a lord killed a family, but was defeated by a young toddler. The boy's name was Harry Potter, but he had become better known as "The Boy Who Lived". Apparently, there had been speculation about Voldemort's return, and Mafalda was a firm believer that he would one day come back, mainly because he had studied the dark arts for years and losing to a mere child seemed impossible.

So, Asphodel was never taken to any place where wizards gathered. Instead, she practiced wandless magic, which was said to be much more difficult, but the girl excelled. Though, Asphodel practiced different incantations and movements daily, so when she receiver her wand, she would know how to use it properly.

Last year, Mafalda stopped visiting. Asphodel cried for months, thinking she'd been deserted yet again. But, when wizard lawyers came to discuss Mafalda's will, she knew the worst had happened. It was then when she was told that when she came of age, she would inherit all of the older witches' money and her house in Godric's Hollow. Though Mafalda didn't have any children, Asphodel was shocked at this act of kindness.

Yes, and today was that day. October 8th, her seventeenth birthday... the day everything was going to change. Asphodel had packed the week before, excited to finally be out of the blasted place that she would never consider to be "home".

After tucking the locket inside of her soft green, button up dress, she tucked her shrunken trunks into her pockets. She glanced around the room one last time, a wild smirk spreading across her face. Asphodel raced down the stairs, almost running out the doors before she heard someone calling for her. The voice was coming from a person she knew all too well, the owner of the orphanage.

Francine Duvall was a plump, middle-aged woman with rosy cheeks and a few strands of gray hair amongst the brunette mane that was always plopped in a bun atop her head. Though, the sweet appearance might remind someone of a favorite aunt or other relative, the young redhead had always had a strong dislike for the woman and saw her for exactly what she was, pure evil.

While the woman who had now wobbled over to where Asphodel stood, seemed to be quite a charmer to everyone else, she wasn't fooling the young witch. Asphodel had listened in on many conversations held between Duvall and parents who were interested in adopting her. Though she was used to words like "different", "odd", and "ill-tempered", Asphodel was still stung that the woman had kept her from having a family for the last seventeen years of her life.

"Yes?" Asphodel asked, raising a perfectly shaped brow. She wasn't given an answer, as the woman just huffed and tossed an envelope at her before going back to her sitting room.

Asphodel watched the woman's retreating figure, eyebrow still cocked, before turning the envelope over a few times in her hand. With a shrug, she decided to look it over later, slipping it into her pocket alongside the shrunken trunks. But, right now she needed to get out.

It was a nice autumn day, a slight breeze hitting Asphodel, who hugged herself to the warm cream cardigan she'd slipped on over her dress. A huge grin spread across her face as she skipped down the skips, it was the first time she'd been allowed outside the orphanage on her own, and the last time she'd ever see the place. "Goodbye prison, hello freedom."


	3. Of lunatics and Family Reunions

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I've been rather ill lately, as well as being loaded with homework. It's good to know that most of you like the story, and I'm sorry that I discouraged some of you by being gone so long. his story will go on, so don't fret, lovelies!

**Disclaimer: **I am not JK Rowling. I do not own any material in the potterverse. I do however, own Asphodel, she is of my own creation.

**Family Reunion?**

Diagon Ally was a place of hustling and bustling, and though it wasn't as dark or dreary as it's neighbor street, it did not give off the lighthearted feeling it had little over a year ago. Different shops had popped up along the street, all owned by either half-bloods and purebloods, of course. Posters with moving pictures tarnished the dark bricks walls, with labels such as "undesirables" and "mudbloods". These were terms the redhead had become familiar with when her tutor began to speak of war times, and the "pureblood" delusional thoughts of supremacy.

Though Asphodel knew of such words and ideas, she was unaware that the supremacists had won the said "war" that had been happening in the wizarding world, let alone that it was over in the first place. She didn't realize that she could be endangering herself just by casually walking the street, as she currently was.

She headed to the first shop she recognized from what her tutor had told her, Ollivander's. Although, the shop looked rather different from what Asphodel had imagined. The curtains were dark, and the door had been kicked in. 'Well, so much for getting a wand,' she thought, letting a small sigh escape her lips before turning around, in search of a newer wand shop. A sign pointing down to Knockturn Alley showed exactly what she was looking for, a shop name Lestrange's Wand Emporium. She had heard about how demented the Lestrange's were, but Asphodel was on a mission, and some lunatic witch wasn't about to stop her.

So, Asphodel continued on her way, heading down the steps and into the dark alley. There were a few street lamps here and there, but other than that, most of the light was from the sky, and it was a rather cloudy day. Everyone was wearing black it seemed, and the redhead felt completely out of place. With her eyes pinned forward, she continued her march toward the new wand shop.

Toward the end of the Alley stood a glorious building made of pale alabaster, it was Lestrange's Wand Emporium. This gave Asphodel a brief sense of excitement. 'Finally, something that's not painted black,' she inwardly stated. Plucking up most of her courage, she walked into the shop, where she was greeted by a bunch of death eaters.

It had been as if the death eaters were having a little get together, and if Asphodel had felt like an outsider before, the feeling was more intense now. As she walked into the shop, the chatter immediately died down and all eyes were on her. A woman with a tangled mess of hair and a gothic dress stepped forward, "Hello deary," she said with a sickly sweet smile that Asphodel so right through, but decided on to play her part, the perfect pureblood princess.

You see, Asphodel had come up with a little plan of her own over the many years at that dreadful orphanage. This was to weasel her way into the elite community, get the man who murdered her parents to fall in love with her, and then kill him. With years of research, looking into family trees, and glancing at orphanage records, Asphodel had learned a little secret. From reports in the Daily Prophet, it was learned that the Lestrange's once had a baby girl, who was stolen from St. Mungo's. But, that wasn't even the best part. No one knew where the newborn had went, that is, besides Asphodel. The baby that was Asphodel's age was dropped off at the very same orphanage, only to die at the age of three from pnuemonia, as records showed. The baby was also left with a locket, with a long silver chain and an elegant cursive L, which the redhead had stolen from the office years back. A little twisted, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

"Hello," Asphodel replied kindly, "I was just wondering if I could use the loo?" She was given a strange look and a nod with a point in the right direction toward. Asphodel heard whispers, no doubt of plans to attack her, as she walked into the bathroom, magically locking the door behind her. She moved quickly, switching out the lockets and unbuttoning the top two buttons of her dress, allowing the magnificent locket to be seen. With a flush of the toilet and a quick hand rinse in the sink, she stepped back under the careful eye of the better half of the pureblood community.

She walked back into the room, and Bellatrix turned to her with the same evil smile gracing her lips, that is until she saw the lock. The brunette man, who Asphodel assumed to be Rudolphus, stepped forward. "Where did you get that? It's a family heirloom," He snarled. The pair of them looked equally distraught. All eyes were on her now, exactly what she wanted.

Asphodel feigned a look of shock, and pressed her hand to the locket, causing the audience to scowl. "This? I've had for as long as I can remember, the muggles said it was with me when they found me on the steps of that filthy orphanage." At this, their expressions changed from anger to confusion. Bellatrix looked as if she had seen a ghost. "An orphanage?" The older woman whispered, glancing at her husband. Asphodel merely nodded, "They said a was barely a few days old," she spoke with feigned nervousness. This caused an audience wide gasped. They had all known of the missing child.

"Faelina? Is it really you?" Bellatrix said, in the softest voice anyone had ever heard from her. "A name wasn't given for me," the young witch improvised. "They named me Asphodel." The crowd's look sifted back to confusion. "There's only one way we can tell, Bella. Wizards stole Faelina, perhaps they placed a glamour charm on her," Rudolphus offered. "Yes, that would only make sense," the crazed curly-cue agreed, as she raised her wand.

Asphodel was prepared for this moment, she had been practicing glamour charms for months. After Bellatrix cast the revealing spell, Asphodel cast a non-verbal, wandless glamour charm, thinking of what the child of the two would look like. The result caused a series of gasps and "oh my"s to break out. The couple in front of her looked as if they could cry, although Asphodel sincerely doubted their ability to do so. But, they did manage to pull the girl into an embrace. It almost felt warm.

"This calls for celebration," Lucius Malfoy spoke. "We'd be delighted to have everyone at the manor tonight for a ball, in honor of our niece." Everyone else merely nodded in agreement.

**Author's Note: **Ha! Bet you didn't see that one coming! Sorry if you don't like the plot twist, but it popped up in my head and I could no longer ignore it. Plus, this means Sanpe & asphodel will be sneaking around behind Voldie's back. I couldn't resist. Give me reviews to let me know what you think.


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